It can be said that this round at Mugello of the CIV Superbike was more than providential for Michele Pirro after the difficulties encountered last weekend in Misano, where the 38-year-old from Puglia took to the track to claim a wild card, the first in five years, in the Superbike World Championship. An appointment that did not go according to the plans of the Apulian rider, who suffered four crashes over the course of the weekend on the Romagna Riviera. A real nightmare from which Pirro managed to wake up already on the first day of action in the Florentine hills, where he returned to doing one of the things he does best: putting the Ducati of the Barni Spark Racing team ahead of everyone.
“I hadn’t ridden at Mugello since the end of August 2023, given that it wasn’t our track for the MotoGP tests this year, and it was nice to come back and rediscover some of the sensations that I missed at Misano during the SBK weekend – Michele told us – I thought I was really stupid, because I fell three times during the tests, without ever finding the right balance, and I was a bit disappointed. Also because I wasn’t expecting it, I wasn’t looking for the limit, but not knowing the tires well, the automatic mechanisms and everything, it could also be possible in a single race.”
What were the biggest difficulties you encountered?
“I was a bit destabilized by the fact that, having ridden the week before with the MotoGP, the grip I found when I started with the SBK was completely different and the bike behaved in a totally different way. I didn’t have time to adapt and I couldn’t do the maneuvers I’m used to. Then, falling in all three rounds of practice, you lose confidence and struggle to readjust in such a short time. I approached qualifying in slow motion and all the races trying not to take risks. The only one I took after FP3 was in Race 2 to attack Lowes and I crashed for the fourth time. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to exploit my potential and that of the bike, but with little time available, and three crashes in practice, the weekend was over. On Friday I also received the news that I have another daughter on the way and I can’t say I was upset about it, since it had already happened twice, although the one on Saturday morning… (laughs ed.)”.
Bautista also struggled at Misano and said that in his opinion the Panigale has now reached the limit of development. Do you agree?
“Well, let’s say that he encountered some of the same problems as me. We come from the same era, we are the same age, and we have somewhat the same feelings. It’s clear that he knows the bike better, but the sensations and limits are those that he highlighted. However, we have the advantage that Bulega manages to make up for these limitations with his smooth riding style and has managed to be a protagonist in the last few races. However, this is not enough at the moment, because with Toprak being a phenomenon, and BMW pushing because it is its only championship, it is obvious and evident that we must try to find solutions to allow Alvaro to be less at the limit. However, this is also part of sport: in recent years we have dominated, so we may find ourselves chasing at the moment, but we are equipped to do so.”
Do you think that the fact of not being able to fight on equal terms with Toprak could push Alvaro to retire at the end of the season?
“I think he is calm, with the awareness that a solution must be found to allow him to ride the bike, also because the level has risen and incredible times have been set. We are working and our bike has improved, but it is clear that BMW has concentrated all its forces on this project and Toprak is a phenomenon, he has everything under control, he manages to ride hard and makes the difference. In motorsport the rider-bike combination has always made the difference, but the Bautista-Ducati SBK combination has also been successful for a long time and we are only halfway through the season, each track on its own, so anything can still happen. I believe that the World Cup will be played by three. Toprak’s superiority is important at the moment, but we have no reason to give up.”.
Speaking of securities, do you think about the fact that here you can put the mortgage on the tenth?
“No. The only positive thing about this weekend is that I got back on the bike four days after Misano, because I had nightmares: I had the sensation that the steering wheel was closing at 60 km/h even when I went to sleep (laughs ed.). Regardless of the fact that I’m going strong here, it’s really a question of sensations, because after so many years you have automatic mechanisms that you struggle to distort in two days. I also talked about it with Barnabò and it’s a bit the same thing that happened to Petrucci, who struggled like a beast in the first 5 or 6 months. I didn’t have the same amount of time to get used to the bike, but it was nice. I was playing at home and it was still fun because there were a lot of people and I also saw the level of the other bikes, learning things that will help both me and Ducati to be ready for the future. We need to see the positive side and that is that we can improve.”
Do you plan to continue even if you get your tenth crown?
“As long as I have fun and have the sensations I have here at Mugello, why should I stop? It’s also an incentive to stay trained and test at a high level, which is an important aspect in my role, because you don’t fix the bike if you go slow.”
